Reviews by icemonkey908:

Appearance is a very dark, amber color. The doppelbock was poured into a glass. The initial 1-2 inch head died down very quickly. The aroma is very sweet and nutty, although not overpowering. The taste and mouth feel is where this beer really comes to life. It is very sweet when first hitting the tongue, but after lingering for a bit, the spiciness of this beer comes through. This is an excellent doppelbock. I will definitely have another.

More User Reviews:

A: This beer is a wonderfully dark, thick and rich doppelbock. It is mostly a dark brownish-black with hints of red and even amber at its thinnest points in the glass near the stem. Some creamy frothy head but no major lacing on on my pour. The beer seems so thick that as it leaves the glass it pulls the lacing with it. Lots of soul in this beer's look.

S: Not super fragrant, gives the impression that it's thick and not aromatic like an IPA. Big malts hidden deep and a very noticeable molasses smell.

T: I'll be completely frank from the start. I struggled between a 5.00 and 4.75 here. This beer isn't really perfect but it's too good to be 4.75. Unfortunately I don't think it quite deserves a 5.00 but it's so close that I almost gave it to it anyway... Anyway, on to the review.. The first sip is very smooth and crisp considering its thickness, very similar to a nice drinkable wine. Extremely malty, one of the richest and maltiest beers I've tasted. Tons of depth and various flavors as the beer cools. Rich caramel and molasses over hints of coffee. Even a little twang maybe like a green apple on the nose. Nothing overpowering, perfectly balanced. Extremely drinkable. 6.7% ABV and virtually zero bitterness. The roasted malts are huge. The only thing it needs is a little more hops to give it a nice crispy finish. Massive, deep rich beer. Wonderful. A++++.

M: Thick but not syrupy. Very crisp and tons of carbonation deep within the beer's rich texture. A wonderful mouthfeel after drinking with almost no aftertaste. Super smooth, super flavorful and super easy to drink.

O: By far the easiest doppelbock I've tasted, and possibly one of the best beers I've tasted. Rich and powerful, deep and thick but not overly strong, sour or bitter. Lots of wonderful notes and a very fragrant nose. Dominant flavors are MALT MALT MALT MALT with some caramel, molasses. Followed by some subtle coffee and citrus hints. Wonderfully balanced, maybe the best balanced beer I've ever sampled. Unbelievably drinkable for this thickness.

Do I love malt. Why, yes I do! This stuff is almost too good. Deepest brown pour with dense tan, clingy head. Aromas of toast, bready malt, some esters and yeast. Flavors similar to smell, with a heavy malt presence dominating the show. There are only a handful of brews, with which if they were the only available in the world, I could be completely content. This is one of them.

Poured from an iconic 12 oz. bottle, complete with miniature plastic ram, in to a small glass mug. The assertive carbonation yields a massive, mounded head of foam that resembles an oven-rising baked biscuit. The beer has a deep chestnut brown appearance with tawny accents. It smells of fresh-baked whole grain bread and a vague notion of sweet nuttiness. Earthy accents of soy sauce and molasses are present in the nose as well. The flavor is very malt-forward, but steers well clear of the cloying sweetness that so many other malt monsters convey. There's some dark fruits, with hints of subtle tart black cherry. A mild earthy hop profile perfectly accentuates the distinct Bavarian flavors. Suggestions of smooth, sweet dark coffee and minerals linger in the aftertaste. The texture of the beer is phenomenal. Rich and creamy velvet perfection. Oh so easy to savor. For such a hearty beer, this is sooo easy to drink. It's simply a masterclass. I've yet to try a dopplebock, foreign or domestic, that I put in the same league as Celebrator. From the iconic artistic style, to the wonderfully smooth texture, to the refined Bavarian taste, this one is just incredible. The definition of world class.

honestly I'm not an expert in dopplebock and bock styles but I have to say to me this was a mildly disappointing beer. If you are thinking about picking this up, I'd just get Aventinus Eisbock instead, maybe heavier but much better in my opinion

appearance: pours a very dark, cola-ish color, some subtle amber tones when held up to the light. Prominent head, cream colored by not creamy, somewhere between watery and frothy, more close to watery. head of about 2 to 3 fingers,decent retention

smell: the most prominent thing about this beer, smells as it's described, rich, dark, fruity, but not overly malty

taste: adequate, it's not that this is a bad beer, I want to stress that. it's more that given the praise this beer receives, well i'm just not so sure it's deserving. I come from a place of favoring strong dark belgian ales and whilst I do understand that this is not that, I feel as though it attempts at least in some sense to support the fruity flavors it claims to carry but the yeast does not do a very good job of it, this is a malty, malty, malty beer. It very much tastes like a generic porter or stout with dark fruity notes at the back of the take, but the strongest flavor is the roasted malt, which dominates the beer

mouthfeel:crisp but a little thick, not bad in this regard

overall: not aweful but if you're in the market for something like this, you can certainly do better. I do recommend having this with some Y Fenni cheese (otherwise known as red dragon)

Always love drinking this beer when someone wants to try it. I have one of those ram medallions hanging from each of my guitars.

It pours a dark red/brown color with some tan head. It dissipates slowly and reveals plenty of bubbles coming out of solution.

The smell is fairly complex. There is some dark sweet malts as well as some roasted smells. There is also a fruity smell, can't tell what it is by the smell.

The taste reveals that its a darker (possibly plum) flavor that I noticed in the aroma. All the rest of the smells translate to flavor as well. There is some sweet malts and a touch of roasted malt and even some hop bitterness but not too much.

Very smooth and refreshing. For as much complexity as this beer has its light enough to enjoy a large glass of with dinner.

A: (3/3) Black but not hazy with very creamy brown head that dissipates very slowly S: (10/12) Dark raisiny with some burnt toffee and a somewhat noticeable alcohol undertoneT: (17/20) Sweet, almost like a burnt butterscotch candy with a hint of coffee or dark chocolateM: (5/5) Medium carbonation but very dryO: (8/10) You want a double bock? Seriously, buy this guy. It’s awesome. It’s got everything you could want in a balanced dark beer. Dry enough to offset the richness of the flavor. Just enough alcohol to not overpower the darker aromas. Also, it’s got a plastic ram on the bottle. Don’t see that everyday.43/50

Pours a nice deep brown with some red hints thru out nice medium slight off white head,aroma sweet and nutty.Many flavors from this beer starts out a little smokey with some nuttiness,it's finish is a little dry.Not nearly as sweet as some of the style to, wich is a good thing.This is a classic worthy of the high ratings it gets.

Appearance  The head came up, lasted and laced, but the body is the story here. This is that deep, dark, rich color that all good Doppelbocks possess.

Smell  The darl malt, bready yeast aroma is here in spades. Theres also a deep molasses scent that fills the room. Some loose fruits and a scent of alcohol complete the package.

Taste  This is monstrous. The molasses comes out in force, laced with brown sugar and alcohol along with deep, roasted, mature yeast flavors.

Mouthfeel  This is a bit bigger than medium-bodied and very bitter from the unsulphored molasses flavors. It has a lingering aftertaste, which seems to be a trademark of the style.

Drinkability  This is a terrific representation of the style. It is more complex than most and is a real treat.

Update  I have this occasionally and decided to review it for 2004. This really is a big, complex example of the style and I guarantee will top the list of any blind DB tasting.

Update  I cellared a 2004 vintage and popped it in the spring of 06. The body held up well but was right on the edge of being spent. The molasses matured times two and the overall mouthfeel was incredibly smooth. It was sweeter than the style standard after being laid down for two years but boy was this some fun to drink.

mmm meaty. Very full bodied. Uniquely warming. Uber dark ruby-orange-brown with an impressively huge tan head. Great retention. Carmel, dark chocolate, and toasty raisons in the flavor and aroma. Very dark but very drinkable. Slight dry hop finish. Subtle and effective. A great treat! Sessionable aside from the price.

So dark, malty, and delicious. One of the best beers I've ever had. Drink it warm, its meant to be drank at 16 degrees Celsius (around 59 degrees Fahrenheit). If you drink it cold you are not drinking it the way it was made to be consumed and the taste profile is TOTALLY different. When it is warm the flavors explode. It has a very little alcoholic zing at the end. Bitterness is next to nonexistent but it does have a beautiful dark cocoa taste. Cocoa is very bitter but this cocoa is balanced among all the dark fruit and other flavors. If you are a fan of other Ayinger beers you can taste that hefeweizen core at the very end. I LOVE their hefeweizen (Ayinger Bräu Weisse) so this is a nice change of pace. A perfect cold weather beer while the hefeweizen is perfect for the warmer weather.

Ayinger is one of the best beer crafters in the world. This beer continues that pedigree. If you want a lighter beer from them look for the Ayinger Bräu Weisse.

Other notes: If you check the Alström Bros' review it looks like they made a mistake in Jason's review. He gives the beer an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 but every other aspect of the beer (taste, appearance, smell, and mouthfeel) got a 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Seems like he made a typo when setting the overall rating. Seems like it should have been 4.5 instead of 3.5

Pours a color close to inky black at first, but shows some deep ruby red clarity when held up to the light. A big, creamy, light-tan head tops this one off - nice retention, however much to my surprise, not much lace is left behind.

Nose is powerful, right from the start. Caramel malts take center stage with some sweet, brown sugar heavy in the background. Light fruits also help contribute to the sweet smelling aroma - raisins, plums - all covered in molasses. Some grains help dry things out a little bit and stop the aroma from being too overpowered with sweetness.

Up front, the alcohol is noticeable, especially considering the brew is only 6.7% ABV, but it's far from off-putting. It meshes with the dark fruits to give almost a wine-like presence and sweetness. This beer is nearly as sweet as it smells - molasses, syrup, deep black licorice, and a faint spice, somewhat reminiscent of anise. Rustic, dry cocoa flavors hide in the back, but are definitely there.

Roasted malts? A little. But I'm getting a larger quantity of sweetness from the malts here - this brew is very caramely and toffee-like. Some earthy undertones trace the outline for this beer, with some herbal hop aromas, slightly tea-like on the tail end. Aftertaste is a fading, earthy caramel sweetness with a hint of dry bitterness. Medium bodied, light creaminess to it on the palate, medium amount of carbonation.

Very robust and full-flavored brew. Haven't had many Doppelbocks, but this one was certainly tasty. Packed with intense malt and sweetness without being cloying - very impressive. Score may adjust once I open up and sample more and more beers of the style, but this is definitely something I'd like to have again.

Picked up a single 12 oz bottle with plastic ram (bull? yak?) necklace. No bottling date, and from a supplier notorious for having old beer on the shelves. I'm not sure how well doppelbocks age, but could be an issue.

Poured into a Champagne glass, a mysterious deep caramel color with a large, smooth tan head that maintains a healthy cover, with big patches of lacing down the glass. Nice bright tan bubbles swirl during the pour. Pretty to look at.

Smells like birthday cake, caramel, faintly of raspberry cheesecake. Not overpowering but pleasant.

Taste is almost all malt, but not as sweet as most other doppelbocks I've tried. The malt flavor is toasted, with caramel and molasses notes. Very slight bite on the back of the throat. The alcohol isn't tasted but kicks in nicely towards the final third of the beer.

Mouthfeel is clean and a little sharp on the tongue, slightly spicy on the finish. Full-bodied, but not syrupy or tangy. Drinkability is good for the style, but it might sit heavy after two or three. A well-built beer, true to style, but lacking a distinctive character that sets it apart from other beers.

A: Into a medium sized wine glass, ACD pours a dark brown with a slight reddish hue. A khaki head foams up to about a finger and a half and recedes to leave a ring about the top of the beer. The carbonation looks exciting.

S: I smell chocolate, bread, and some interesting sweet spice aromas rising out of the glass. There is a very dry, grainy smell accompanied by some plum and fig hints.

T: I don't know what it is about bock beers, but I get a very salty taste from all of them. If the taste of this beer perfectly matched the aroma, I would be over the moon. But the salt taste overpowers the chocolate flavor that is present and leaves a sodium residue in my mouth. That being said, there is a decent balance between sweetness and dryness in this beer, and it has a nice, crisp, clean taste to it.

M: Relatively full and coating at the beginning of the sip, and then a puckering saltiness/dryness takes over the feel on my palate. Crisp.

D: This is a well crafted Dopplebock and if I really liked Dopplebocks, I would make this one of my go-tos.